Pneumatic self-playing musical instrument.



PATENTED MAR. 13, 1906.

' B. DOMAN.

PNEUMATIG SELF PLAYING MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLIOATIOH FILED SEPT. 16, 1904.

IS-To w ll whom it may concern.-

STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS B. DOMAN, OF ELBRIDGE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO AMPHION PIANO PLAYER COMPANY, OF ELBRIDGE, YORK, .A CORPORA- TION OF NEW YORK.

PNEUMATIC SELF-PLAYING MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Be it known that I, LEWIS B. DQMAN, of

: Elbridge, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of NewYork, have invented new and useful Improvements. in Pneumatic Self-Play- 'ing'Musical Instruments, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompascr'i tlon. s mventlon relates to. certain lmprovenymgdrawings, is emu, clear, and exact dements in pneumatic self-playing musical instruments, and refers more particularly to valves for pneumatic actions. It is well known that the degree of perfection in the rendition of any musical selection by such an instrument depends largely upon the ease of action and quick response of each individual valve to the rapid variations of air-pressure such as is reduced by the movement of the "perforate v the tracker-board and that this case of action and responsiveness depends somewhat upon music-sheet across the ducts of the structure of the valve, but mainly upon "cation, Serial No. 219,938,

' the practical absence of air-leaks either at structure.

the valve-seats or in the adjacent parts of the former appli ed August 8, 1904, I have sought to reduce the liabllity of air leakage to a minimum, and While the structure therein shown accomlplishes in a great measure the object sought have found that sometimes the valve-seats and valve- ,In the device set forth in mg;

faces .are not exactl parallel or at right an-' gles with the vertica movement ,of the valves, and therefore a sli ht leak is produced be- I tween the valve an its seat as a result of imperfeet contact. This leak is especially no-.

ticeable in the production of an audible hissing sound, which is more or less annoying to the operator and indicates a deficiency in the 4 instrument.

oscillatory movement with reference to its The object, therefore, of my present invention is to connect the head and stem of the valve by a simple and effective flexible joint or swivel, whereby the head may have a free stem and still be guided in its vertical movement b said stem, so that the head will automatioal and instantly adjust itself to limited ang es to effect a positive closure of its "port, and thereby increase the efiiciency of Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed September 16, 1904. Serial K0. 224,565.

. Patented March 13, 1906.

the pneumatic action under atmospheric pressure. I

. Other objects and uses will appear in the following description.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view of a valve-shelf of a self-playing musical instrument, showing theapplication of my improved valve. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the valve. Figs. 3 and 4 are perspective views of the valve-headand its stem, res actively. 1

The va ve which forms the suiaject -matter of m present invention consists, essentially, of a ead 1 and a stem 2, both of whiclrparts are preferably formed of wood and are next bly connected together by a swivel or universal joint, so that the head has a free oscillatory movement relative to the stem to permit it to seat itself squarely and positively against either of two 0 posite valve-seats presently described. The head 1 is here shown as cylindrical and provided with opposite flat and parallel faces which are covered with thin pads 3, of leather or equivalent material, to make air-ti ht joints with their seats. One side or face in this instance the lower face) is formed with a recess 4, which extends only part Way through the head and has its open side covered by the adj acent pad 3. The stem 2 plays in one of the valve-ports to uide the valve in its vertical movement, and therefore it is preferably angular in cross-section to form air-passages 5 between it and the walls of the disposed with reference to and,-o;f smaller d1 ameter than the head, so thatthe latter may engage and rest upon its seat to cutoii'the passage of air through the underlying-port when closed by the valve. The valve-stem 2 has a comparativel small neck 6 projectin from its u per end through an aperture 0 substantia ly the same size in the adjacent pad 3 and terminates in an annular enlargement 7 above said pad and in the recess 4.- This neck 6 and enlargement 7 constitutes a part of a round-headed tack or nail which is driven centrally through the lower pad 3 and into the up er end of t e stem 2, and as these pads are a hesively or otherwise secured to the head 1 it is apparent that the head 1 and stem are flexibly oined together. The en 5 ort in which, it plays, and the stem is there ore centrall and for the same purpose as that set forth in my former application reviously referred to, in which the function 0 the valve is to control the action of a key-operating pneumatic, as B. The action of the valve is controlled directly by a primary pneumatic, as C, which in turn is controlled by an exhaust-bellows and a erforated music-sheet passing over a suitab e tracker-board. (Not shown.)

The valve-head 1 plays between the valveseats 8 and 8 of two vertically-alined ports 9 and 9, one of which connects an exhaustchamber 10 with a lateral air-passage 11, and the other one ,connects said air-passage 11 with the atmosphere, while the air-passage 11 is connected to its key-operating pneumatic B by a second air-passage 12.

The primary pneumatic C consists of a diaphragm which is located beneath the exhaustchamber 10 and plays in an underlying pocket 13, having an air-duct 14, which is connected to the exhaust-chamber by a smaller branch passage 15 and is also adapted to be connected to its particular duct in the tracker-board. (Not shown.)

The valve-seat 8 and its port consists of .a metal eyelet, and the valve-head 1 is normally drawn against the upper face or seat 8 of this eyelet by the suction in the chamber 10 orby atmospheric pressure through the port 9 but as soon as air under atmospheric pressure is admitted into the duct 14 itoperates quickly to elevate the diaphragm C and to thereby close the valve against the upper seat 8. This closes the port 9 and connects the exhaust-chamber directly with the keyoperating pneumatic B, which immediately collapses to actuate the key of a piano or other instrument, the valve returning to its seat 8 as soon as communication between the pocket 13 and atmosphere is cut oil.

The up er valve seat 8 and its port 9 consists o a metal bushing which is threaded and adjustable in the valve-shelf. to regulate the amount ofmovement of the valve.

A series of these valves and their ports are grouped together in one shelf, one for each primary and its key operating pneumatic, and therefore alarge number of valves are employed, and it is not always possible to fit the seats, so as to be exactly parallel with each other and with the adj acent faces of the valvehead 1; but the universal joint between the .lunar] 1 and stem .2 enables the head to autcr Patent, is

matically adjust itself s uarely on its seat, even though the seats and valve-I aces may be considerably out of arallel.

Although I have s own my improved valve in connection with the key action of a pneumatic self-pla ing instrument, it is evident that it is equa ly applicable to other uses, and I do not, therefore, limit myself to the use shown and described.

Havin thus fully described my invention, what I c aim, and desire to secure by Letters 1. In a pneumatic self-playin musical instrument, a valve-action including a valve havin ahead and a guide'stem flexibly connecte together, the head supporting the stem and both parts havin a free oscillatory movement one upon the 0t 1'. v

2. In a pneumatic self-playi musical instrument, the combination wit two ports and valve-seats therefor, of a valve com rising two parts, one part being connecte by a universal joint to the other part and playing between the two seats and the other part guided by one of the ports.

3. In a pneumatic self-playin musical instrument, the combination wit two ports and valve-seats therefor, of a valve ha a a guide-stem guided by the sides of one of t e ports and provided with a head playing between the seats and flexibly connected to the stem.

4. In a pneumatic self-pinyin musical instrument, the combination with a'primary neumatic and a key operating pneumatic ommunicating with the exhaust chamber and with the. atmosphere, of an exhaustchamber, a valve between the primary and key-operatin pneumatic consisting of a head and a stem exibly connected to each other and each havin a free oscillatory movement oneu on the ot er. 5. n a pneumatic self-playinginusicil instrument, a valve-shelf having a valve-chamber and opposite ports, a primary pneumatic, a valve consisting of a head and stem flexibly connected to oscillate freely one upon the other, the head playin between the ports and the stem supported by the head free from the primary neumatic and guided by the sides of one o the ports.

6. In a pneumatic self-playin musical instrument, a valve consisting o a head and stem, one of the parts having a recess and the other part having a head playing in the recess and provided with a comparatively small neck, and a comparatively thin covering secured toone of said parts and having anaperture receiving said neck.

7. In a pneumatic self-playing musical instrument, a valve-shelf having a ort and a valve-seat, a primary neumatic rectly an .der the port, and a va vie consisting of a head normall resti on the seat and ,a stem guided. )v the sides of the nort and flexiblv attached to and supported by the head with In witness whereof I have hereunto set my its lower end in thepath of the primary pneuhand on this 12th day of September, 1904. matie, the distande betweenthe seat and L B DOMAN lower end of the stem bein less' than the dis- 5 tance between the seat an upper face of the Witnesses:

primary pneumatic when tHe active parts are Mrs. THOMAS ELLIOTT, 1n their normal position. NETTIE A. BmnnNe/ 

